SECRETS OF THE TAILRACE WITH JERRY CROOK

Secrets To Catching Hybrids And Saltwater Stripes

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jerry Crook, of Gardendale, Alabama, a veteran Tennessee River angler, has more than 22 years of fishing experience. Crook operates Tailrace Guide Service, which focuses on live-bait fishing and provides anglers with the opportunity to catch several species of fish in a days outing. Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick lakes on the Tennessee River in northwest Alabama has the furthermost range of smallmouth bass in Alabama. Wheeler Dam tailrace is one of the most well-known smallmouth areas in the nation with the Alabama state record for smallmouth caught here weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces. This week, Crook will tell us his secrets for fishing the tailrace that will work in tailraces across the nation for a wide variety of fish.

QUESTION: What are your secrets for catching hybrids and saltwater stripes?
ANSWER: There are two ways to go about catching these fish. More times than not, the bigger fish are going to hold from the towers to the base of the dam. I'll use big threadfin shad on the baitcasters to catch these fish.

QUESTION: So you can find them within 300 yards from the base of the dam down river.
ANSWER: Yes. I'll use a three-way rig on a big spinning rod or a bait-casting rod. If the large threadfin shad aren't available, the minnow- bodied jig lures work really well too. I prefer the Samurai Shad, which is made by Yum, in pearl with a chartreuse tail or plain pearl.

QUESTION: How do you fish it?
ANSWER: The slurp lines that we were talking about on Day 1 are fantastic places for those big stripers to hold. The bigger stripers will hold right in that really fast water. I like to use an 1/2-ounce to 3/4-ounce Arrow jig. I'll cast it and hop it along the bottom.

QUESTION: How big will the stripers and hybrids be?
ANSWER: You easily can catch a boat load of fish from 10- to 25-pounds each.

QUESTION: What is the best day of fishing that you had last year?
ANSWER: On one day, we caught almost 500 pounds of fish, including catching and releasing. The limit here in Alabama is pretty liberal. You can have six fish that measure over 16-inches long, but only two of them can be saltwater stripers. So you can either have six hybrids over 16-inches long or four hybrids and two saltwater stripers.

QUESTION: What is the best time of year to fish for them?
ANSWER: The best time to fish for stripers is in March, April, May, September, October and November.

For more information on fishing the tailrace, contact Jerry Crook at 1128 Meadow Drive, Gardendale, Alabama 35071 or call him at (home) 205-608-0933 or (cell) 205-243-6198. You can visit his website at www.alabamaoutdoors.net.

TOMORROW: CATCHING WHITE BASS IN THE TAILRACE